Early Illustrations of Le Cimetière des Chiens

A Postcard History of Le Cimetière des Chiens

Sunday, 3 January 2016

When Rin Tin Tin died in 1932, he was first buried at the home of his owner [Lee Duncan, a US soldier who rescued him from the French trenches during the First World War]. Duncan, it is said, had to sell his house during the Great Depression and arranged for Rin Tin Tin's remains to be sent back to France and interred in the Paris Dog Cemetery [Le Cimetiere des Chiens].

Looking through my large collection of vintage postcards of the cemetery, I came across a a 1930s postcard showing Rin Tin Tin's grave. The memorial plaque rests upon an imposing tomb. I wonder if it was lifted there by the photographer from a less imposing grave plot? Certainly, a mystery still to be solved as I have yet to discover another image of the dog's original grave plot in the cemetery.

Today, the grave is marked by a granite memorial that is often adorned by flowers and other tokens left by frequent well-wishers. I can find no record of when today's memorial replaced the original. To see a photograph of the current tomb, click HERE.